In this aerial photograph, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) sits at Pier 3 at Newport News Shipbuilding division. The ship is approximately 76 percent complete and is progressing through final outfitting and testing. Huntington Ingalls Industries photo.
The next Ford-class aircraft carrier will now deliver to the Navy in 2025, one year later than the service’s most recent projection, according to Fiscal Year 2024 budget documents released this week.
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A sailor handling fuel lines on the deck of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) on March 2, 2023. USNI News Photo
ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS GERALD R. FORD IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN – The pressure is high and getting higher for the crew of the U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier. Read More
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after two months in the the Atlantic Ocean with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG), Nov. 26, 2022. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to indicate neither forces from Finland nor Coast Guard cutter USCGC Hamilton participated in the exercise with USS Gerald R. Ford.
First-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is back at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., after a 53-day operational period in the Atlantic, U.S. 2nd Fleet announced on Saturday. Read More
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) departs Naval Station Norfolk, on Oct. 4, 2022. US Navy Photo
This story has been updated to clarify the amount of ammunition the ship loaded aboard before departing.
ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS GERALD R. FORD IN THE VIRGINIA CAPES – After years of delays, the Navy’s first-in-class aircraft carrier is underway on a two-month operational stress test of the carrier’s new systems and air wing as the ship and its crew prepare for an extended deployment early next year.
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Sailors assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 conduct an ammunition onload, Sept. 25, 2022. US Navy Photo
THE PENTAGON — Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will soon leave for a short cruise before heading out on its first deployment next year under the Defense Department’s global force management system. Read More
Distinguished visitors observe flight operations aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), Sept. 17, 2022. US Navy Photo
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Five years after its commissioning, the world’s largest warship is in shape to deploy, the officer who oversees the Navy’s carrier program said last week. Read More
An artist’s concept of the future carrier Enterprise (CVN-80). DoD Image
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – HII has laid the keel block of the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-80) on Tuesday, USNI News has learned. Read More
Carriers USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) at Newport News Shipbuilding on Nov. 12, 2021. USNI News Photo
With construction on the Navy’s new class of aircraft carriers continuing in earnest, the nation’s largest shipbuilder currently has six nuclear carriers at various lifecycle stages in its Virginia yard, officials told USNI News. Read More
Carriers USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) at Newport News Shipbuilding on Nov. 12, 2021. USNI News Photo
The Navy is confident in its supply chain and the availability of spare parts to build and sustain its aircraft carriers, as the lead ship in the Gerald R. Ford class gears up for its first deployment, two service officials said last week. Read More
Submarine construction continues apace in the latest US Navy budget request, which asks for two more Virginia-class submarines and another installment for the missile sub Columbia. Here, the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Montana (SSN-794) is seen just after launch in March 2021 at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding. HII Photo
This post is part of a series looking back at the top naval stories from 2021. Read More
